as writers, we keep going in the dark, working away, trying, hoping, never giving up and sometimes, there's a light. A bright and shiny light.
Jennifer is the first and only one to read my wip and this feedback from such a great writer means so much to me.
Just had the pleasure of reading the first half of
@BarbaraByar
's new novel, and OMG, it is an absolute materpiece! Rich, textured, deeply moving, and destined to be a mega award winner! Beautiful, masterful, and one of the best novels I've read in a very long time! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My birthday today and it's been a tough year but I'm hopeful about the future. Say hi if you're passing this tweet or why not read my most recent story or visit my website or buy my book.
Kisses
I've always been vague about my age, reckoning it's a handicap in the publishing game. But age isn't a handicap, it's Experience, Resilience. I've won awards. Grants. Bursaries. Published loads but never a novel Today, I'm 62 & writing my 4th novel
This will be THE ONE
It will
Sobbing...
Almost 1 year till the day I started, 150k on the computer and 3 notebooks full and I've just written those magic 2 words.
Nevermind the rickety old kitchen table, this, this is everything
My head. My heart
I've woken from a pity party to find 5 offers to sponsor me & this. Crying.
Now to make coffee, take pill for the head and get busy.
Never give up on your dreams, no matter what life throws at you, there are always those who will pick you up.Take their hand xx
@BALovric
Hi Barbara, we've had a payment from someone who saw your tweet and wanted to gift your entry fee. If you'd like to enter a novel for
#BNA2019
the cut off is 23:59 tonight, link to entry form below. Put "twitter anon" as your payee with today's date:
Lit journals,
Please don't send rejections that encourage you to "not give up" "keep going" and "stay a member of the community"
It really is insulting
I've applied for a Literature Bursary every 3 years since 2015 and I'm delighted to say that 3rd time's a charm.
Thank you
@artscouncil_ie
for the amazing feedback and support for my new novel started at the beginning of the pandemic.
It's everything to this WC immigrant writer
This is the highest honour my writing has every received. I am just so, so happy to find myself amongst such great writers on this list.
I hope you'll have a chance to read my story and vote for me
#APIBA
@mirajacob
@The_Big_Quiet
Yes. Thank you for potentially spreading your germs across the country and trying to absolve your own feelings of guilt through your art.
Ffs
So it's my birthday today and. I usually have really bad birthdays but this year, I've drafted a kick-ass novel, gotten 2 kids and self through a pandemic, received wonderful recognition for my writing and love. Love, genuine, unfearful love, always gets you through.
Love to all!
Can't tell you all how excited I am to share the news that my debut novel, THE CORN ROAD will be published by
@FairlightBooks
in September, 2019.
This has been an amazing journey for me and I can't wait to share this book with you!
OH MY SWEET FABULOUS DELIGHT!!
at finding my story on the longlist for the
@AnPostIBAS
@writing_ie
2023 Irish Short Story of the Year and in such fine company!!!
This story is so near and dear to my heart. Thank you!
My 8th grade teacher who I haven't spoken to since 8th grade just sent me a DM to say how proud she was of me for all I've accomplished
And I'm having a moment
Me circa 8th grade:
There is a GAPING hole in the literary world for middle-aged shit-kicking women who have lots of sex and drugs and rock n roll & I'm happy to be filling it and I know of a few others who are as well.
As a middle-aged woman, THIS is the narrative I want. not shawls, tea & regret
How does Good Friday become GREAT Friday?
When you get to share this wonderful news!
Delighted to be working with Dave and the
@reflexfiction
team on my first collection which will contain many new and unpublished pieces.
So HAPPY!
It's my birthday today.
But instead of moaning about how shitty life is for me at the moment, I am going to celebrate this day as it's meant- a new life, a new beginning, a future, not a past.
And if you're going through tough times, come celebrate with me.
This new day birthday
So it’s my birthday. A deep dark descended this week just thinking about it.
Figured I’d be further along my road by now. Had accomplishments. Top of the bestseller list. SOMETHING.
Then I thought about my life so far. All I been through. All I’ve done…
1/
Writing community - It costs nothing to support each other (give feedback, encouragement, reviews) but means EVERYTHING to fellow writers.
and remember - You are never too big or too small to give.
or receive.
❤️
Absolutely over the moon and back, to have just been awarded an Agility Award from the
@artscouncil_ie
to work on my novel, a contemporary fantasy set in Kerry.
Many thanks to the Arts Council &
@MumblinDeafRo
@junecaldwell
and
@AshlingDennehy
for their support!!
Submissions for the
#MOTEL
Anthology I am editing for
@CowboyJamboree
are now OPEN and close on June 30th. Can't wait to read what y'all come up with on this theme!
Please spread the word!
It's really disheartening sometimes how much money is made on people's dreams-courses, competitions, festivals, mfas. The sheer cost of any & all of it is just beyond most poor & working class folk.
So we read. And write and practice and support each other when and where we can.
OH
MY
GOD
I just got the most amazing email.
Can say no more (yet).
Only thank you for all the amazing energy pointed in my direction today.
It worked! Maybe not in the way you\we thought. But it worked!
xx
Genuinely, absolutely and completely floored to be on this longlist with this amazing group of Irish writers. Thank you so much for this honor
@writing_ie
I honestly can't say how much this means to me, now, EVER. My little collection of tragedies was born in darkness but ever strove towards light.
YOU are that light!
Thank you all for your votes! Thank you Charley and
@SabotageReviews
!
Please consider supporting me again on 19th
Everyone really should make more use of their local library. I was in despair because I wanted to read 2 new books by American genre authors and didn't have the spare 40 quid but library was able to order both and I'll collect them Monday.
Today, I received the proof of
#MOTEL
.
This is the first anthology I've ever edited. I selected all the pieces and worked with 28 amazing writers to create something truly special.
I'm so proud of all the authors and of myself as well.
This cover page means so much to me.
@SimonHarrisTD
@rachandrews101
what about those who haven't? How are we to know our past negative results are correct? Could we be walking around with undiagnosed cervical cancer??
I recently had the honour of being a reader for
@TSSPublishing
during their open sub period. I read some truly amazing pieces but some of these just weren't quite ready. I learned so much during my stint and if you want to know what, read here:
CRYING!
Thank you so much to Dave and
@reflexfiction
for making my dreams come true and to
#EdValfre
for the stunning cover photo (click to see the whole thing).
When an award-winning and fantastic author who you deeply admire has this to say about your book, you do genuinely burst into tears.
And no, it hasn't been picked up (yet)...
And it's submitted to
@BathNovelAward
!
Thank you Wondrous Anonymous Donor for this opportunity and who knows, maybe writing Cinderella stories can come true...
My head. My heart
I've woken from a pity party to find 5 offers to sponsor me & this. Crying.
Now to make coffee, take pill for the head and get busy.
Never give up on your dreams, no matter what life throws at you, there are always those who will pick you up.Take their hand xx
I had a huge writing setback just before Christmas and was really doubting I could make it in this business. But on New Year's, I sat down and fired off a few
#FlashFiction
pieces straight from the heart and gut and am now on my second acceptance in a row with no rejections.
@Fernandokountry
@trbrtc
@MattWalshBlog
this boy was not defending his own home or property, he came looking for trouble and found it and killed two people. I hope they throw the book at him but they won't
Just seeing ANOTHER short story comp with a TWENTY quid entry fee.
Can we please stop normalizing this nonsense?
The only entries you're going to get are from people with disposable incomes. Token free places don't cut it. Some of these comps make HUGE money.
#MOTEL
is now open for business
Check in
Check the rooms out
It was such an honor to be entrusted with these 28 fabulous stories
Get yourselves a copy from
@CowboyJamboree
and enjoy your stay!
Cowboy Jamboree Press (subs open 4 A CASE OF KINK)
MOTEL: AN ANTHOLOGY is out in the world today from CJ Press. Edited by
@BarbaraByar
and packed with so much goodness. Get it in paperback or ebook y'all:
it's taken me 3 books to know this is the one
and i know we're supposed to be all quiet and coy about it but I am so excited.
i'm sure the universe will put me in my place but for now, for this moment as I prepare my first queries. I believe.
General reminder that most competition entry fees are beyond the means of many writers, even those in employment. Token free places do little to address this. As a result, entries are skewed towards those with disposable income.
15-25 quid for a short story entry is unreasonable
I've a very important interview Monday for a promotion at work and I've been working so hard to prepare. If my mates who are still here can throw me some good luck vibes, would be eternally grateful.
Delighted to announce my third acceptance of the year with
@SpelkFiction
for a piece entitled "Some Days are Better than Ours". I love this piece and hope you will too!
Out January 14th!
Feeling very lost at sea on here lately. Well, since a certain someone mucked the place about.
If you see this, can you please like it so I know you're out there?
Don't trust this view counter thingie
Some days are better when I remind myself THIS AMAZING THING is happening this Autumn!
My debut flash collection Some Days are Better than Ours coming (sooner than I think) from
@reflexfiction
!
Nothing better than an editor emailing to say they LOVE your piece and can they publish it!!
Thanks so much, Meagan Lucas. Looking forward to seeing "Somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the last car of the last train to LA, I fell in love" coming soon in
@ReckonReview
I was once under the delusion that small presses only published work that wasn't good enough for large indies and the big 5.
How wrong I was!
Small presses are where all the exciting work is happening.
I have to admit that ultimately I don’t have any virtuous reason for reading small press titles - I do it because they tend to be more exciting than the stuff that is produced by corporate presses.
Am so excited to reveal cover of my new book. A collection of 3
#GritLit
novellettes with amazing, gritty as hell pieces by
@travisjudegrant
@lyfaulk
and myself. Many thanks to Ariana and
@EmergeJournal
for publishing!
Coming soon!
I'm going through some major life stuff at the moment. Writing was always my way to cope with things but I am paralyzed. I can't write, read, nothing.
any advice? suggestions??
hugs...
@etienneshrdlu
is there not one bazillionaire on this damn planet who gives a shit about anything important other than making more money and controlling more people?
@monaeltahawy
@JillNicholls01
my very wanted baby did not have amniotic fluid or kidneys or lungs and I had a very difficult choice to make when I was told unequivocally by 3 of the top specialists in the country that my baby would die upon birth.
I am grateful I had a choice. And it now seems, life.
Have just pressed the SEND button and the completed and edited
#MOTEL
Anthology is on its way to the publisher
@CowboyJamboree
!
28 stories of misdeeds, mayhem, melancholy and magic coming your way MARCH 26TH, 2024!!